A REMARKABLE SUNDAY FUNERAL
The shocking death of one of the members of the Canadian Forestry Corps, stationed at Cliburn Camp, who was killed in a collision between the cycle he was riding and a motor car, on Thursday night, formed the subject of an inquest at Penrith Police Station on Friday evening, before Mr. F.W. Soal and a jury of which Mr. F.T. Kenyon was foreman. The deceased was Sergeant Wm. Ploethner, a French-Canadian, aged 26 years. A few minutes before ten o’clock on Thursday night he was cycling along the lane which connects Skirsgill road with Eamont Bridge. At the Penrith side of the bridge the lane enters the main road at right angles, the junction being a very dangerous one, as on the main road there are steep hills on both sides – Kemplay and the bridge. As the sergeant was leaving the lane, a motor car, owned by Mr. Hewson, veterinary surgeon, Carlisle, and driven by Mr. W.F. Wood approached from the south. Deceased appears to have seen it as he was about to turn, and it is surmised that to try and avoid it he guided his machine to the left, in the direction of Penrith instead of towards the bridge, which would have been the nearer way for him to get to the camp. In any case the car and the bicycle came into violent contact to such an extent that the unfortunate soldier was carried a good many yards in the direction of Penrith. It was seen that he was much injured and the motor was sent to Penrith to obtain the services of Dr. Ward. As soon as possible Ploethner was taken into the house of Mr. Jos Storey, close by, where the household did everything possible for the sufferer. The doctor found the patient in a critical condition, and advised removal to the Cottage Hospital, before reaching which, however, Ploethner died. The bicycle, which was in court during the inquest was very much buckled, and the radiator of the car was damaged. Before hearing the evidence the coroner and jury motored to the Cottage Hospital to view the body, and then to Eamond Bridge to see the place where the accident occurred.
Lieut. F.R. Reeve, 131 st Company, Canadian Forestry Corps, identified the body as that of Sergeant Ploethner, a member of his Corps, who came from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He would probably leave camp about seven o’clock on Thursday evening.
Dr. Ward, Penrith, spoke to being called at 10:15 and finding the body lying by the roadside. He had it removed to Mr. Storey’s house and then to the Cottage Hospital, but death took place on the way. The skull was fractured, and there were many other injuries.
Lieut. And Adjutant S.L. Glanfield, 133 rd Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. said he was cycling towards Penrith on the Eamont Bridge road, and when just across Eamont Bridge he heard the horn of a motor car coming from behind. He turned round, but could not see anything in sight. He dismounted to walk up Kemplay and heard a great crash immediately after doing so. In passing the Skirsgill road he did not observe any one on it. On hearing the crash he looked round and observed a bicycle and a man being dragged along underneath the car. He did not see exactly where the man was struck, but he estimated that he would be dragged from 20 to 25 yards; he actually saw him dragged about 10 yards. The former estimate was formed after talking the matter over with Mr. Hawson and Mr. Wood. When he first saw the car it was apparently being pulled up and it was quite over to the right hand side of the road. He noticed the car tracks. On the middle of the bridge they were in the centre of the road and up to the point where the car stopped they ran in a right “incline”. Witness turned back and found deceased bleeding profusely from the ears and he therefore asked Mr. Hewson to immediately rush for a doctor. He took his own car for the doctor, and witness stayed until he arrived. Witness helped to get the sergeant into the cottage, and then went with Mr. Hewson for the ambulance. Before the ambulance could be obtained witness took Major Walker and Lieut. Reeve to the scene of the accident, where they remained until the patient was removed to the hospital. The gist of the conversation he had with Mr. Hewson was that Ploethner was coming out of the Skirsgill road, and seemed uncertain as to which way to turn.
The Foreman: Have you in Canada a rule of the road to the effect that vehicles to on the right? – This was not a Canadian car. – But what I mean is, would the man be inclined to think the car would pass on the right side.” - There is a rule to that effect in some of the provinces, and Saskatchewan is one.
Replying to Supt. Barron, Witness said he did not know how far the car would be from the bridge when the horn was sounded.
Joseph William Hewson, Warwick Road, Carlisle, said on Thursday Mr. Wood met him at Penrith with the car, and he then had to go out to Lowther Castle. It was a Ford car of 20 horsepower. Mr. Wood was driving, and witness sat beside him in the front of the car. Just before he came to Eamont Bridge the driver sounded the horn once. The road disappeared entirely from view on approaching the bridge; prior to that there was a clear road, and when they topped the bridge it was still clear, as far as he could see. When they were more than half-way down the bridge a man came out of the Skirsgill road on a Bicycle. The man came out pretty sharply on the main road, and turned towards the right, but when he hot out he seemed to hesitate and wobble, and then eventually did cross the road right in front of the car. The car would be seven or eight yards from the Skirsgill road when he first saw deceased, and the impression gained was that the bicycle was going to pass on the right (the left of the car). He thought the car would travel about 15 yards after) striking deceased. Before reaching the bridge the car would be travelling a twelve miles an hour, and when it struck deceased it would be going about fifteen miles an hour. The brakes were in good order, and so was the car.
There was a long cross-examination by the Coroner, Lieut. Reeve, and Supt.Barron, but witness maintained that the car was not travelling too quickly. Deceased was on his right side. The brakes were on all the time. Deceased was really doing his duty, when he was struck, by taking to the far side of the road.
William F. Wood, Scotland Road, Stanwix, said he was a supervisor of tractors in the Food Production Department. On Tuesday he arranged to meet Mr. Hewson at Penrith to take him to Lowther Home Farm. On returning he travelled through Eamont at twelve to thirteen miles an hour. He sounded his horn on the Westmorland side of the bridge. Deceased was partially on the main road before witness saw him. The bicycle was going at a quick pace, as if deceased wanted to get a good start on to the hill. Deceased turned to his right as if he intended to pass on the right side, but appeared to change his mind. Witness thought an accident would happen as soon as he saw the deceased, but the car was “on” him before witness could do much. He did get the brakes on before the man was actually struck. He did not take any measurements of the road. He had no idea the man was entangled in the car or he might have been able to pull up earlier. He considered the place a dangerous one, but he was not travelling at too great a speed. The top possible speed of the car would be 27 miles an hour.
Acting Sergeant Swan, Penrith, said he went to the place and found deceased had been taken to a cottage. The marks of the car were quite distinct from the top of the bridge to the lamp post. At the top of the bridge they were in the centre of the road, and from a point half a dozen yards down the marks cut off to the right to the place where the man was struck – in line with the Skirsgill road, on the right side of the main road to the driver of the car.
Mr. Hewson interrupted and said he certainly did not point out to Sergt. Swan where the man was struck.
The officer, however, adhered to the statement, but added that Mr. Hewson did not point to a specific point, but just pointed it out in a general way.
Mr. Wood, recalled, said he told the officer in a general way where the man was struck.
The Coroner having reviewed the evidence, a verdict of accidental death was returned.